Wednesday, September 19, 2007

This is the first of a news series of post I am going to be running on this blog looking at ads. More precisely, I will be talking about and dissecting them and more then likely do a bit of mocking…ok a lot of mocking

The first up is this ad that appeared in an issue of the comic book Flash with the print date of January 02, for Starburst candy.

Ok after reading the ad I guess we are supposed to think that this young lady rammed a bunch of starburst in her mouth. But looking at the picture and I am not sure about that.

This girl looks like she has gone mad. Just look at her eyes. It is clear that this young woman has gone mad. Now the question is did she go mad and just rammed a fist full of Starburst in her mouth or does Starburst candy drive people insane. If the later I’m just going to stick to Now & Laters.

But honestly the first thing I thought when I saw her eyes, is that this is the face a sheer terror. Did she really just try to eat a handful of Starburst or did someone forced them down her throat. That’s right I think this poor girl was really flogged to death. I don’t know why a company would run this ad in a comic book no less but it is clear that someone forced feed Starburst to this girl to the point that they just spill out of her.

Because of this ad I haven’t bought a pack of starburst for over 5 years. Sure if someone offers me a piece I may take it but I can’t spend money on a company that places snuff ads in comics.

Friday, August 10, 2007

I don’t know if you have heard of the news story about a woman that was gang raped by a bunch of teenagers and then made to perform oral sex on her own son. It wasn’t a story that really made a splash in the national news, because there where other stories that the media thought where more important such as Paris Hilton going to jail, Nichol Richie being with child, Mick Vick cruelty to animals, etc.

But the story has been talked about on the web and has sparked much outrage. And rightfully so. The horror of this story doesn’t end with the fact that this woman and her son where raped, but continues with the fact that none of her neighbors cared enough to lift a hand to help her. They did nothing, no one came to her rescue will she was being raped, no called the police or called an ambulance for her. She and her son had to walk to the nearest hospital, even with the fact that they had bleach poured into their eyes.

One would think this is the type of event that would spark outrage in it community but as stated the people in Dunbar Village couldn’t seem to careless. The people of that community have been dealing with such a high crime rate that many have seemed to have lost their humanity.

Reading the articles that quoted people saying things like “so what a woman got raped, crime happens here all the time” shocked me nearly as much as the crime itself.

Luckily as I stated earlier even if the people living the Dunbar Village projects are outrage enough to do anything to either help this woman or to make sure things like this doesn’t happen again there are people on the net that have decided to try and do something about this.

Well at least one person the net is. The woman running blog whataboutourdaughters.blogspot.com has started a campaign to try and get people that are either seen as or call themselves leaders of the black community to pick up the cause on this event.

I commented on her blog that I think that there are better ways to try and do something about this besides trying to get these guys on board to do something. In fact she has a list of leaders and ways to contact them or their orgs. Maybe it’s just me but I think that to many people think that only these people are in a position to help the black community, and over look are on power.

I didn’t know at the time I made the comment what else should be done but after sometime thinking about it have thought of a few more things to do beside trying to get the leaders to take action (and try to get other people to do something)

First of after I thought about it is a good ideal to contact the Black leaders, but that is only a start.

Second I think we should also contact our local congress person and asked them to reinstate funding for the security of are nations housing projects.

3rd contact the media about this story. The media covers stories that they think will get them ratings (it’s why we get so many stories about celebrities) if they know we want to hear about this story they will cover it more. If the story is in the news a lot people (including the black leaders) might be more likely to take action

Thursday, August 09, 2007

I just added another nerdy skull and crossbone tie. this one is blue and instead of just having a little nerdy skull & crossbone at the bottom, it has a little skull and cross bone at the bottom and one closer to the top of the tie.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Nearly half of American jobs in the private sector are with small companies. Yet it seems when states to small towns are trying to are trying to find something to save their economy they don’t look to build or help small business they look to bring an outside source either giving deals to big companies or building a prison.

In fact when certain types of big business come are many local business end up going out of business. For example Wall-Mart causes a lot of mom and pop stores to close, Starbucks takes out local coffee shops even McDonald’s shut down local eateries.

And with the cause of Wallmart the jobs don’t really pay that well. And by not paying well I not talking about it pays enough to get by but I wish I had a little more so I can get some cool stuff. I’m talking about people working but still need welfare to help them make it.

It doesn’t really make sense since one would think that the smartest thing to do is pass laws that will help the little guy thrive.

Of course it doesn’t have to be an either/or. If a town/city/state is looking to boost it’s economy by trying to woo big companies in prisons they should make sure that they have it in place that they will only allow the company or prison to operate if they have to help local small business in someway. For example a prison should be made to get 50% of their supplies from local companies, etc.

Along with more and more people spending more of their money at local small business this could really be something that could be a real catalyst to bring economies to big heights. Because the economy wont just increase because local business have a good deal with what ever the out side source is (nor the fact that that source will should also hire local people.) But the fact that those business and the people working in them (and the people working at the big companies/prison complex/whatever) will have more income (or more people will have income) to spend. If spent local that just means an increase of revenue for small business.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

The other day I saw reports saying that customer confidence has been on the raise. Which puzzles me, giving that last week the stock market had such a huge drop, the prices of goods have gone up and let’s not talk about gas and milk. And there is also the job market which (at least where I am at) is horrible.

Ok the stock market dive is a recent event and wouldn’t effect the people in that study. In fact the stock market has been doing really well even though much of the gains where whipped out last week. But the other factors would still be in play.

Maybe someone out in the wonderful world of the internet can’t tell me what everyone else sees that makes them think the economy is good that I don’t.

Giving that that value of the dollar and hence are economy is based so much on what people think I wonder what the future well hold. Well the economy have a big down turn because people look at the stock market, all the new homeless people that lost their homes because they couldn’t pay their sub-prime mortgage, sky rocketing prices on consumer goods and staples like food, milk and gas. Or well we be able to keep the economy going by people doing what they have been doing for some time…say the economy is doing great so people feel like everything is good and spend, spend, spend.

Of course I think the by the time the next report on consumer confidence comes out I think the raise in the minimum wage should be in effect and maybe people well fell good about the economy for a reason I can understand…they’ll have a little more money in their pockets then they did during the last study.

Monday, July 09, 2007

I was just watching an Obama speech on C-span and I am starting to see why there is so much hype around the guy. He has away to sweep you away with his words, bring up things that many people miss because of the way the current president is running things. Things like habeas corpus or even talking with other countries to get things done.

Funny thing is that he even drop a line that popped in my head some time ago that I think who ever wins the 2008 election should use as slogan…”America is back”

I still think it is to early to say if I want to get behind the guy but I have to say that for the most part he has been cementing his place near the top of my list.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

The other night (Monday) I was watching the Tavis Smiley show’s first part in a series on the victims of hurricane Katrina that have moved back to New Orleans to try and rebuild there lives. Watching people talk about the hard time they had getting things like power in their area I begin to wonder why there isn’t more being done not only to rebuild the city but to make it even better.

Now when I say make it better I don’t mean the way that many in the city fear, ie tearing down the mostly Black areas and either building housing that many of the original residents can’t afford or make it to boutique town. What I was thinking was to rebuild the city so house are more ecologically friendly.

Maybe I’m only thinking this because I noticed a lot news about green tech recently. But think about it, when this documentary was being filmed a lot of people where living in areas with no powers. It made me wonder what if people and companies got together to help rebuild peoples home with things like solar panels. People in areas that government doesn’t feel is populated enough to worry about trying to get energy to can at least generate their own.

Know if a company wonders why should install homes with any renewable energy set for free, the answer is simple. You can use the people that you give help to as public relations and also for advertisement. Your company will look really good if you can run ads saying “WHATEVER CO. helped the Jenkins family of New Orleans get the power they need to rest their lives” or something to that affect.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

I have been reading a bunch of articles about the people of Boston being scared $H!tless because of some viral ads for the cartoon show Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

This is what cased the panic

Now I ask when you see this what is he first thing that came into your mind? Is it hey why is that cartoon character giving me the finger? or hey its the guy from that one show.

sadly it seems some idiots in Boston thought...oh my god terrorist. But hey one stupid dumby wouldn't really be much news, it's the fact that a bunch of morons that hold office seem to have thought the same way.

These ads where places in cities all across America but only in Boston, did some call the bomb squad to take them down.

The two people that were hired by Turner Broadcasting to place the ads are now facing the possibility of going to jail.

Assistant Attorney General John Grossman says that "It's clear the intent was to get attention by causing fear and unrest that there was a bomb in that location,"

but really was that these two guy ideal? It's really hard to make that jump in logic. They wanted people to see it yes...but it's hard to see how any one would think that was a bomb. Instead of just "what is that character and why is it flicking me the bird?"

Mayor Thomas Menino stated "It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme,"

he is right about one thing, this is outrageous. but the problem isn't the marketing tactic it's the fact that after 9/11 America seems to have turned into a land of really jumpy scaredy cat punks.

it's a shame this reminds me of when some high school students made blocks like the ones that can be found in the video game Super Mario Brothers and people panic thinking it was a terrorist attack.

It's time for us as a nation to Man up...street art isn't an act of terrorism...vandalism maybe but not terror.

Middle America please:

STOP BEING A AFFRIAD OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE AND DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!

Acting like the people of Boston just did only gives the terrorist a win with out them having to do a damn thing.

in a post 9/11 world we have to remember that terrorist want use scared and it is clear by the way people acted about this we are still living in a state of fear. And that is what they wanted.

So please stop giving into the terrorist. next time you see something like street art or marketing don't jump to the conclusion that it has to be terrorist and go on your day.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Growing up as a kid in the 80's I was exposed to an art form of music called rap. I don't really remember the first rap song I heard but I do remember when it really clicked with me.

I was flipping through channels when I ran across BET and they were playing KRS-One's My Philosophy and then DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's Parent's Just Don't Understand. two extremely different songs but they still hit home with and 8 year old me.

Maybe being introduced to the music by two songs that are so different (social-political to pop) that when I got older and gangsta rap became extremely popular in the media, I was always trying to defend rap by pointing out that it is so much more then just gangsta rap.

But then after watching a number of documentaries about old singers, I realized something...old people always hate the music of the youth.

so after that I basically learned how to ignore most of the complaints about rap music.

But then I got older and noticed a number of the complaints people had/have about rap are true about many of the songs that get heavy air play. A lot of rap songs that get heavy rotation on radio and on TV is full of sexism/misogyny, violence and materialism and they do have some effects on the youth.

But the thing is that these issues are problems we have across the board in society. So in fact the problems that people have with hip-hop are really the problems that they have with America.

or at least the problems that they should have with America.

is there really much difference between kids wanting to be gangsters in the past because they saw it on the movies and kids wanting to be gangstas today because they hear it on the radio?

is it really any more sexist to have a video full of Black women with big booties in bikinis compared to having of video of White women with large breast in bikinis?

what does more to increase gun violence? Westerns, rap or Rambo? Or is it that we have live in a society that glorifies guns, that's the problem?

I thank the reason that people dog pile on rap and hip-hop is because as I noted early the older generation always hates on the youngster's taste in music. But also because this music is mostly brought to you by...Black people and if you look at the past every time a new form of music that comes from the African-American community becomes popular it's dismissed and looked down on.

even though the music reflects problems that we have in society, those two facts makes theme stuck out more for some people.

In no way do I want to excuse hip-hop on these problems but I just think that before (or while) people want to deal with the problems of hip-hop we have to fix the the problems we have across the board. Because if we don't it won't matter if we fix rap because it will only get infected again because rap in part of American society and what ails it also ails hip-hop.